Racquet grip tape with tapered ends

ABSTRACT

A sports equipment tape that has an adhesive backing at each end, and is tapered at both ends. Tapering the tape at both ends allows the tape to be applied evenly at the beginning of the handle of a piece of sports equipment using the adhesive, and allows the tape to end with no excess tape and no discontinuity of the tape, without the need to cut the tape. This leads to a fast, easy, and reliable way to apply the grip tape to a handle of a piece of sporting equipment.

BACKGROUND

The present invention is related to sports racquets and paddles, andmore particularly to a racquet or paddle handle grip tape that is shapedto conform to the handle.

After market grip tape is sold for a variety of sports devices, such ashockey sticks, tennis racquets, baseball bats, and other types of sportsequipment. This grip tape comes on a roll and the user applies the tapeto the handle of the equipment. The roll of tape is rectangular on theinitial and final ends, which leads to an uneven contour of the tape atthe beginning and ending of the handle as the tape is layered or wrappedover itself while being wound over the handle. To avoid this unevendiscontinuity of the handle tape, the user must try to cut the tape tomatch the surface contours, but grip tape is very sticky and cutting thetape does not lead to favorable results in many cases. The result is apoor experience for the user, discontinuities in the application of thetape, and poor performance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a preselected length of tape that has anadhesive backing at each end, and is tapered at both ends. Tapering thetape at both ends allows the tape to be applied evenly at the beginningof the handle using the adhesive, and allows the tape to end with noexcess tape and no discontinuity of the tape, without the need to cutthe tape. This leads to a fast, easy, and reliable way to apply the griptape to a handle of a piece of sporting equipment.

The invention will best be understood with reference to the DetailedDescription of the Invention below, along with the accompanying drawingsof the inventor's best mode of using the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevated, perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view partially in shadow of theinitiation of the tape application process;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view of an intermediate stage of thetape application process;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, sectional view of the conclusion of the tapeapplication process;

FIG. 5 is the finished taped racquet with the tape applied to thehandle;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the tape; and

FIG. 7 is a back view of the tape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a tape 10 for application to a sportingequipment handle such as a beach tennis racquet. The tape can be woundupon a roll or spool (not shown), but when removed from the spool itappears as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The tape 10 is elongate with a firstedge 11 that is straight from a first end 12 of the tape 10 to a secondend 14. The opposite edge 15 is parallel to the edge 11 in anintermediate portion 16, and includes tapered edges 17 at each end ofthe tape 10. The tape further includes an adhesive patch 20 on the innersurface 21 of the tape at each end 12, 14. The adhesive patches 20 canbe protected with a removable film that is peeled away just prior toapplication of the tape 10 to adhere the tape to the handle.

FIGS. 2-5 illustrate the method for applying the tape 10 to the racquethandle 30 of the racquet 25. The tape 10 is placed adjacent the handle30 with the inner surface 21 facing the handle and the first edge 11aligned with either the butt 32 of the handle 30 or the top 34 of thehandle 30. The adhesive patch 20 is stripped of its protective backingand the adhesive surface is placed against the surface of the handle 30with the first edge 11 aligned parallel to the butt 32 of the handle 30(or, alternatively, the top of the handle). With the end 12 of the tapesecured to the handle 30 via the adhesive patch 20, the tape is woundaround the handle 30 keeping the edge 11 parallel to the butt so thatthe angle X forms a general ninety degree angle with the longitudinalside of the handle. As the tape makes a full pass around the handle 30,the taper of the section 17 forms an upward path defined by the angle Ythat the edge 11 makes with the longitudinal side of the handle for thetape 10 to follow without excess tape accumulating at the top of thehandle and without a gap in the coverage of the handle. As the tape iscontinuously wrapped around the handle (FIG. 3), it can be seen that thebottom of the handle is uniformly covered by the tape without excesstape, and the taper has provided an easy path for the remaining tape tofollow to the top of the handle. The tape continuously makes an angle Ywith the handle with each pass around the handle defined by the taper ofthe section 17 of the tape 10. As the tape reaches the top of the handle(FIG. 4), the end 14 includes a taper 17 that exactly coincides with andis parallel to the top 34 of the handle 30. The second adhesive patch 20attaches to the opposite end of the handle 30 as the tape completes itslast path around the handle, and the tapered edge is aligned parallel tothe top edge 34 of the handle by virtue of the taper angle. The finishedwrapped handle is shown in FIG. 5, where no excess tape is present ateither end of the handle due to the unique shape and design of thepresent invention. Moreover, the tapered end 17 is adjacent the top 34when the tape is fully wrapped around the handle.

The present invention allows a user who is not trained to apply suchhandle wraps to easily and quickly direct the tape around the handle inexactly the correct position to eliminate waste and bulky overlap whilepreventing any bare spots or gaps in the tape. The use of the adhesivepatches make it easier to apply, although a full adhesive backing willalso work with the invention. The invention can be used with manydifferent types of sporting equipment, but is especially well suited forbeach tennis racquets such as those depicted in FIGS. 1-5. It is animportant aspect of the present invention that the tape does not need tobe cut by the user in order to evenly apply the tape to the handle,making the invention easier to use and less frustrating than other typesof tape.

The tape 10 can be made out of natural materials such as leather orsynthetic materials, and may have some elasticity but is preferablylimited in the amount of stretch to allow the tape to be wrapped tightlyaround the handle.

While a preferred embodiment is disclosed and depicted in the drawings,the present invention is not limited to the specific depictedembodiments. Rather, a person of ordinary skill in the art will readilyrecognize various modifications and substitutions to the embodimentsdepicted, and the invention is intended to include all suchmodifications and substitutions. Accordingly, the invention is notlimited herein except where expressly stated, and the scope of theinvention is properly determined by the words of the appended claimsusing their plain and ordinary meanings, consistent with the disclosureherein.

I claim:
 1. A sports equipment handle tape, comprising: an elongatestrip having a first end and a second end, the elongate strip having afirst straight edge between the first end and the second end, and asecond edge having a tapered section at the first end and the secondend; a first adhesive patch at the first end on an inner surface, and asecond adhesive patch at the second end on the inner surface; whereinthe tape is adapted to be applied so that the first edge is parallel toa longitudinal axis of a handle at a first end, and the second edge isparallel to the longitudinal axis of the handle at the second end; andwherein the first and second adhesive patches are used to adhere thetape to the handle.
 2. The sports equipment handle tape of claim 1,wherein the tape is made of a natural material.
 3. The sports equipmenthandle tape of claim 1, wherein the tape is made of a syntheticmaterial.
 4. The sports equipment handle tape of claim 1, wherein thetape is symmetric about a transverse axis passing through a midpoint ofthe tape.
 5. The sports equipment handle tape of claim 1, furthercomprising a beach tennis racquet handle.